January 26, 2020 | Leave a comment Nakagomi Orchard was my ultimate reason for beelining for Japan in April 2019, right there and then. I found the Workaway page several years back and fell in love. Obsessive love. Cherries, peaches, grapes, countryside, home-cooked Japanese meals, a well-built dorm with wifi and tatami rooms—could a project be more ideal? Volunteers were promised bike use, freedom two days a week, and trips to the local onsen (public hot bath). While Japan had some of the most expensive transportation and fine dining options I’d ever laid my eyes on, I knew I couldn’t put off this major wish list item any longer. I didn’t have to know why exactly I had this gripping fixation before I was committed to the idea. All travelers who want to get anywhere must trust themselves. This fruit orchard was my beacon, I was the nocturnal insect, and I told three of my best friends that I couldn’t road trip around Japan with them because of a scheduling conflict. From the farm we watched the peak melt over the course of the month. The fact that one friend lived in Japan, had a car, and spoke the language, would share her camping gear with me, and the fact that this year’s Golden Week holiday was twice as long as usual which would double our exploring time, all couldn’t deter me from unpaid outdoor labor on a farm. It was among those fruit trees that I made friends who knew that yes, Fuji can in fact be climbed at the start of June. It was there that I met adventurists with the spirit of spontaneity and the inside scoop on Japan. Hiro had topped off Fuji eight or nine times himself already. On the first of June at two in the morning, he drove with Rachel and I for yet another volcanic ascent. Rachel lived in Colorado and used to go up and down a 14er every week, so she shared insight on her high-altitude nutrition prep and routine. The three of us had helped each other pack, checked each other’s gear, and watched out for each other (mainly for altitude symptoms) during the trek. First light as we began our ascent. We were rewarded with great weather and a successful summit. Kengamine, Mt. Fuji, 3,776 m. In the end, the dates worked so that I was able to go on the girls Golden Week road trip too. But that’s its own tale. I don’t have to know why I do the things I do, and I may never know why. I just have to know that I like it, and it’s the right thing. Then I must go for it. Eat rice balls… …follow odd inclinations and that beating organ in your chest… …trust that universe thing… …you know the drill.